USS LST-474

USS LST-474 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. As with many of her class, the ship was never named. Instead, she was referred to by her hull designation.

USS LST-474, beached at Aitape, North East New Guinea, 12 December 1944, while Royal Australian and US forces load men and equipment for an upcoming landing.
History
United States
Name: LST-474
Ordered: as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 994[1]
Builder: Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number: 178[1]
Laid down: 7 November 1942
Launched: 12 December 1943
Commissioned: 19 March 1943
Decommissioned: 4 March 1946
Stricken: 22 March 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 8 × battle stars
Fate: sold for scrapping, 17 December 1947
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: LST-1-class tank landing ship
Displacement:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light)
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load)
  • 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
Length: 328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range: 24,000 nmi (44,000 km; 28,000 mi) at 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) while displacing 3,960 long tons (4,024 t)
Boats & landing
craft carried:		 2 x LCVPs
Capacity: 1,600–1,900 short tons (3,200,000–3,800,000 lb; 1,500,000–1,700,000 kg) cargo depending on mission
Troops: 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement: 13 officers, 104 enlisted men
Armament:
Service record
Part of: LST Flotilla 7
Operations:
Awards:

Construction

The ship was laid down on 7 November 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 994, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched 12 December 1942; and commissioned on 19 March 1943,[1] Lieutenant Richard W. Langworthy, USN, in command.[3]

Service history

During the war, LST-474 was assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. She took part in the Eastern New Guinea operations, the Lae occupation in September 1943, and the Saidor occupation in January 1944; the Bismarck Archipelago operations, the Green Island landing in February 1944; Hollandia operation in April 1944; the Western New Guinea operations, the Biak Islands operation in May and June 1944, and the Morotai landing in September 1944; the Leyte operation in October and November 1944; the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945; the consolidation and capture of the Southern Philippines, the Mindanao Island landings in April 1945; and the Borneo operation, the Balikpapan operation in June and July 1945.[3]

Following the war, LST-474 performed occupation duty in the Far East in September 1945. She returned to the United States and was decommissioned on 22 March 1946, and struck from the Navy list on 17 April, that same year. On 17 December 1947, the ship was sold to the Ships and Power Equipment Corp., of Barber, New Jersey, and subsequently scrapped.[3]

Honors and awards

LST-474 earned eight battle stars for her World War II service.[3]

Notes
    Citations
    1. Kaiser Vancouver 2010.
    2. Navsource 2014.
    3. DANFS 2015.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "LST-474". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
    • "USS LST-474". Navsource.org. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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